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Itinerary for Jul 27 — Aug 7, 2013

Description: The Villa Montparnasse is a quaint hotel on the left bank of the Seine. The colonial-style residence is located in the 19th century intellectual elite neighborhood opposite the famed Montparnasse Cemetery and next to the apartment where Simone de Beauvoir lived. This hotel is both charming and comfortable and is one block from a pedestrian street featuring restaurants and shops. It is within walking distance of two different metro lines both with direct access to the main monuments of Paris.

Room amenities: In each room there is satellite TV, air conditioning, a mini-bar and a safe.

Facility amenities: 24-hour front desk with English-speaking staff, bar / lounge, laundry service, smoke-free environment. Wifi is available in the lobby. Participants should be aware that hotel rooms in Paris are often considerably smaller than hotel rooms in the United States.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Morning: Arrivals at Charles de Gaulle airport and independent transfers to the program hotel in Paris. Please note that rooms are not generally available until early to mid-afternoon, so you should plan to drop off your luggage at the hotel and then take some time to explore Paris or relax and have a leisurely lunch (on your own). There are Paris maps available at the hotel, and your Group Leader and hotel staff will be present to provide recommendations and directions.

Afternoon: Check in at your hotel and take the afternoon to unpack and relax.
In the late afternoon you will meet with your group at the hotel for introductions, a review of the program itinerary and site orientation.

Description: The Villa Montparnasse is a quaint hotel on the left bank of the Seine. The colonial-style residence is located in the 19th century intellectual elite neighborhood opposite the famed Montparnasse Cemetery and next to the apartment where Simone de Beauvoir lived. This hotel is both charming and comfortable and is one block from a pedestrian street featuring restaurants and shops. It is within walking distance of two different metro lines both with direct access to the main monuments of Paris.

Room amenities: In each room there is satellite TV, air conditioning, a mini-bar and a safe.

Facility amenities: 24-hour front desk with English-speaking staff, bar / lounge, laundry service, smoke-free environment. Wifi is available in the lobby. Participants should be aware that hotel rooms in Paris are often considerably smaller than hotel rooms in the United States.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Morning: Enjoy an overview of Paris by coach. This excursion will bring you to the Opera, Place Vendôme, the Bouvelard des Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe, the Invalides, the Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower and more. Afterward visit the Louvre museum to discover one of the biggest museums in the
world holding great masterpieces such as Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and the Mona Lisa.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: Enjoy a unique discovery of the Louvre, one of the most important collections of art in the world. You will be divided into teams and be given a list of masterpieces to find. This treasure hunt is both an adventure and an opportunity to learn about many different periods and styles of art.
Walk through the Tuileries Garden, cross bridge, RER Orsay to Champs de Mars for Eiffel Tower.
Field Trip: Eiffel Tower

Description: The Villa Montparnasse is a quaint hotel on the left bank of the Seine. The colonial-style residence is located in the 19th century intellectual elite neighborhood opposite the famed Montparnasse Cemetery and next to the apartment where Simone de Beauvoir lived. This hotel is both charming and comfortable and is one block from a pedestrian street featuring restaurants and shops. It is within walking distance of two different metro lines both with direct access to the main monuments of Paris.

Room amenities: In each room there is satellite TV, air conditioning, a mini-bar and a safe.

Facility amenities: 24-hour front desk with English-speaking staff, bar / lounge, laundry service, smoke-free environment. Wifi is available in the lobby. Participants should be aware that hotel rooms in Paris are often considerably smaller than hotel rooms in the United States.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Morning: Metro to Abbesses; Guided walk through the streets up to Place du Tertre and then into Sacre Coeur.
Depart by metro to Montmartre to walk the winding streets of this “village”. Montmartre and the Basilica of Sacré Coeur can be seen from many points in Paris. This butte (hillock) is a delightful area of village streets and steep stairways that suddenly rise from the Grands Boulevards. The Romano-Byzantine Basilica of the Sacred Heart dates to the late 1800’s. The interior is decorated in mosaic. The bell, named La Savoyarde is one of the world’s heaviest bells at 19 tons. Nearby the Place du Tertre (Painters Square) is very popular with tourists and street artists vying for the chance to paint their portraits. Poets, singers and artists were drawn to the area by its reputed Bohemian way of life. In the early days, they gathered in the cafés to share their works. This led to the tradition of the café-concert. The most famous of these, the Moulin Rouge, opened in 1889. Until the outbreak of World War II, La Butte remained the city’s artistic and literary center. You will be divided into teams for a scavenger hunt of Montmartre. Solve the clues that lead to a "treasure".

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant in Montmartre

Afternoon: Departure by metro to Ile de la Cité. Field trip to Notre Dame Cathedral: Discover l'Ile de la Cité and the Gothic quarter of Paris. Return to the hotel by metro.

Dinner: Tonight you will dine with French residents and hear firshand about life in France. Take some time to ask questions and have an in-depth discussion about differences between your cultures.

Description: The Villa Montparnasse is a quaint hotel on the left bank of the Seine. The colonial-style residence is located in the 19th century intellectual elite neighborhood opposite the famed Montparnasse Cemetery and next to the apartment where Simone de Beauvoir lived. This hotel is both charming and comfortable and is one block from a pedestrian street featuring restaurants and shops. It is within walking distance of two different metro lines both with direct access to the main monuments of Paris.

Room amenities: In each room there is satellite TV, air conditioning, a mini-bar and a safe.

Facility amenities: 24-hour front desk with English-speaking staff, bar / lounge, laundry service, smoke-free environment. Wifi is available in the lobby. Participants should be aware that hotel rooms in Paris are often considerably smaller than hotel rooms in the United States.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Morning: Travel by coach to the palace of Versailles. In an en route lecture learn about Louis XIV and the French Monarchy. Explore the state apartments of the royal palace and learn about the daily life in the time of Sun King. Wander the formal gardens designed by Le Nôtre.

Lunch: On your own at the chateau

Afternoon: Return to Paris and embark on a boat cruise on the river Seine and discover the many different bridges of Paris and their history.

Description: The Best Western Hotel Moderne has a combination of charm, comfort and tradition. You will appreciate the excellent services including a lounge bar, a sauna and a conference room. The hotel is ideally situated less than 2 minutes from the Caen's historic centre and the harbour. Explore William the Conqueror's city at your own pace : the Abbey of St. Etienne (Men's Abbey) and William's grave, the ladies' Abbey and Mathilde's grave. Departing from the hotel you can take a leisurely stroll around the pedestrian streets in the town centre where you can find the department stores (Galeries Lafayette, Printemps...), the theatre and the cinema. Nearby, the picturesque district of Le Vaugueux and its numerous restaurants, invites you in a small greedy escape in the Norman flavors.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Day Six: Thursday, August 01 - Giverny / Caen

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Departure by coach to Caen to visit Claude Monet's house and gardens. On board, discuss Monet and the Impressionists: "Who were they, what were they trying to accomplish with their paintings and why it was different from what came before them.
Field trip to Claude Monet's house.The house is pink stucco, just like when Claude Monet lived there (1883-1926). The gardens are a rectangular “Clos Normand” offering, from spring to autumn, a palette of varying colors of the painter-gardener who was ecstatic about flowers. Walk through a tunnel to the site of the Water Lilies, a water garden with the famous Japanese bridge, wisteria, azaleas and pond which inspired the pictorial universe of the water lilies. Learn about Monet and the Impressionists in an on-site lecture. Then test your knowledge with a quiz on Monet for the grandchildren. Continue to Rouen

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: Explore the Vieux Marche and learn the story of Joan of Arc. Depart by coach to Caen

Description: The Best Western Hotel Moderne has a combination of charm, comfort and tradition. You will appreciate the excellent services including a lounge bar, a sauna and a conference room. The hotel is ideally situated less than 2 minutes from the Caen's historic centre and the harbour. Explore William the Conqueror's city at your own pace : the Abbey of St. Etienne (Men's Abbey) and William's grave, the ladies' Abbey and Mathilde's grave. Departing from the hotel you can take a leisurely stroll around the pedestrian streets in the town centre where you can find the department stores (Galeries Lafayette, Printemps...), the theatre and the cinema. Nearby, the picturesque district of Le Vaugueux and its numerous restaurants, invites you in a small greedy escape in the Norman flavors.

Description: The Best Western Hotel Moderne has a combination of charm, comfort and tradition. You will appreciate the excellent services including a lounge bar, a sauna and a conference room. The hotel is ideally situated less than 2 minutes from the Caen's historic centre and the harbour. Explore William the Conqueror's city at your own pace : the Abbey of St. Etienne (Men's Abbey) and William's grave, the ladies' Abbey and Mathilde's grave. Departing from the hotel you can take a leisurely stroll around the pedestrian streets in the town centre where you can find the department stores (Galeries Lafayette, Printemps...), the theatre and the cinema. Nearby, the picturesque district of Le Vaugueux and its numerous restaurants, invites you in a small greedy escape in the Norman flavors.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Day Eight: Saturday, August 03 - Caen Memorial / WWII Landing Beaches

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Enrichment activity : Enjoy a journey on board of a little train for an overview of Caen.

Lunch: Lunch in Caen: Receive money, read the menu and order the food in French.

Afternoon: Departure by coach to the Memorial of Caen.Field trip to the Mémorial of Caen: the American Memorial museum, and underground H.Q. Lecture (on site): World War II and the American allies. Watch a movie on D Day

Description: Located within the walled city at the heart of Saint-Malo, this hotel offers modern rooms with a flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi. It provides a ticket service at the 24-hour front desk. A buffet breakfast is served every morning in the dining room at Hotel du Louvre. Guests can enjoy a drink in the bar while reading the newspapers provided. The harbor is just a 2-minute walk from hotel Louvre and the beach is just 1800 ft away.

Room amenities: The soundproofed guest rooms feature extra long beds and interconnecting rooms are available. Each room has a private bathroom with a hairdryer and amenities. All rooms are serviced by an elevator.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Check out time: 11:30 AM

Day Nine: Sunday, August 04 - Mont Saint Michel / Saint Malo

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Travel by coach to Mont Saint Michel. Discover the Benedictine Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, one of the most remarkable examples of mediaeval religious and military architecture. It was one of Christianity's most important pilgrimage sites from the 8th to the 18th century and is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. Learn about the
unique character of Mont Saint-Michel's abbey and surrounding bay in an onsite lecture.

Lunch: Lunch on your own at Mont Saint Michel

Afternoon: Coach depart to Cancale La Ferme Marine via coastal road. On board, discuss Facts or Fiction: "Should oysters only be eaten in months ending in the letter R?"
FIELD TRIP: Discover Cancale, a typical fishing port. At a marine farm, learn the details of oyster farming and regional traditions with a film in English “Oyster breeding: a local tradition” followed by a tasting of oysters and fish pate. Coach transfer to St Malo along coastal route

Description: Located within the walled city at the heart of Saint-Malo, this hotel offers modern rooms with a flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi. It provides a ticket service at the 24-hour front desk. A buffet breakfast is served every morning in the dining room at Hotel du Louvre. Guests can enjoy a drink in the bar while reading the newspapers provided. The harbor is just a 2-minute walk from hotel Louvre and the beach is just 1800 ft away.

Room amenities: The soundproofed guest rooms feature extra long beds and interconnecting rooms are available. Each room has a private bathroom with a hairdryer and amenities. All rooms are serviced by an elevator.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Check out time: 11:30 AM

Day Ten: Monday, August 05 - St Malo

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip: on foot through the streets inside the walled city. Learn about the privateers known as the Corsairs as well as ancient legends and Celtic heritage. At the Privateer's House (La Maison du Corsaire) discover the hidden staircases, the stately panelled salons, the cellars used as a prison during the French Revolution, and the collection of weapons, chests, documents and coins from the early eighteenth century

Description: Located within the walled city at the heart of Saint-Malo, this hotel offers modern rooms with a flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi. It provides a ticket service at the 24-hour front desk. A buffet breakfast is served every morning in the dining room at Hotel du Louvre. Guests can enjoy a drink in the bar while reading the newspapers provided. The harbor is just a 2-minute walk from hotel Louvre and the beach is just 1800 ft away.

Room amenities: The soundproofed guest rooms feature extra long beds and interconnecting rooms are available. Each room has a private bathroom with a hairdryer and amenities. All rooms are serviced by an elevator.

Important information about your itinerary: Please know that while we do everything we can to finalize all aspects of our programs well in advance, there are logistics that occasionally must be altered. Our website will reflect the most recent information, and we are committed to providing you with final program details no later than eight weeks prior to the start of programs outside the U.S. and three weeks prior to the start of programs within the U.S. If you ever have questions about your program, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

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*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!